


How To Say "I Love You" in Emoji

by ix3thehpseries



Series: Where the Hell My Phone? [2]
Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Texting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-22
Updated: 2017-03-22
Packaged: 2018-10-09 08:45:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10408338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ix3thehpseries/pseuds/ix3thehpseries
Summary: O: one couple down, two to go.Bell: You need a hobby, O.O: whatevs, you'll thank me when u finally hook up with clarke.Bell: Unsubscribe.Or: Miller and Monty got together because of Octavia's group chat. Bellamy's pretty sure statistics would show that it's unlikely that he and Clarke would finally get together through the group chat, too, but Octavia begs to differ.





	

**Bellamy** : Wanna know what’s worse than seeing students outside of school?  
Seeing students outside of school while your sister is yelling “I swear to god if you start talking about Bellamy’s dick again!”  
**Octavia** : JESUS GET OVER IT, BELL  
**Miller** : i still can’t believe i was blessed enough to witness that entire thing.  
**Roan** : They were looking very intently at your shorts after that.  
Just in case you didn’t know.  
**Bellamy** : Are you trying to make this worse for me?  
**Roan** : Was that not obvious?  
**Raven** : look at it this way.  
you’re a safe way for your students to deal with their new and confusing sexual feelings.  
they’ll fantasize about you asking them to stay after for a little ‘extra help’ and not have unprotected sex with douchebags.  
it’s a win/win.  
**Bellamy** : I’m going to die.  
Or get fired.  
**Jasper** : You didn’t actually do anything though.  
You can’t control your students thinking about doing the do with you.  
**Monty** : True.  
Do you know how many of my teachers I fantasized about?  
All of them, Bellamy.  
All. Of. Them.  
**Bellamy** : None of you are helping.  
**Roan** : I particularly liked the part where you ran away from them.  
**Bellamy** : I didn’t run away.  
**Lincoln** : You kind of did.  
**Raven** : you mumbled something about having a hiking bet to win, yelled “have a good weekend!”, and literally ran.  
**Miller** : so blessed.  
**Clarke** : Pretty sure the only reason you beat me up the mountain was the sheer force of your mortification pushing you as far away from your students as possible.

Bellamy has left the group.  
Bellamy has been added to the group _I am a MATCHMAKER_  
Miller has changed the group name to _fuck bellamy’s life tbh_

 **Bellamy** : Fuck you, Miller.  
**Monty** : I’m trying.  
**Raven** : heyoooooo.  
**Octavia** : keep that to ur private texts  
what the group chat giveth, the group chat taketh away  
**Monty** : I’m trying to be more outwardly flirty.  
bc I am apparently calm, cool, and collected.  
**Jasper** : I live with you.  
You are none of those things.  
**Miller** : i don’t think those were my exact words.  
but i’m not complaining.

The chat devolves, as it always does, and Bellamy’s phone buzzes with a text from Clarke. He checks it, waits for the follow up, and finally responds.

 **Clarke** : On the upside.  
**Bellamy** : Did you forget to send the rest of the text?  
I’ve been waiting for your upside for five minutes.  
**Clarke** : No, I just couldn’t think of an upside.  
Sorry.  
I mean, the upside for us is that we’re gonna get to hear a bunch of stories about how flustered you get around your students now.  
But I don’t think that’s an upside for you.  
**Bellamy** : Not helping, Princess.  
**Clarke** : How about this? It could have been worse.  
At least nobody was actually talking about your dick.  
Like, they could have walked up to Miller and Raven discussing your dick.  
Instead of just Octavia wanting to not talk about it.  
**Bellamy** : Yeah, no.  
Still horrifying.  
I have to teach them on Monday.  
While knowing that they have definitely thought about my dick.  
Do you know how gross I feel?  
Very gross is the answer.  
**Clarke** : Oh, come on.  
Like they weren’t thinking about your dick before.  
You’re a history buff.  
Emphasis on the buff.  
Do you really think your students have never fantasized about you?  
**Bellamy** : Is this supposed to be helping?  
Because it’s still not.  
Actually, calling me buff made me feel a little better.  
Riff on that for a while.  
**Clarke** : You’re buff and your students probably wanna bang you because you’re their hot history teacher.  
**Bellamy** : Not what I meant.  
**Clarke** : I’m coming over with booze. Will that help?  
**Bellamy** : Drinking myself into oblivion.  
Probably the best way to deal with this.  
And Miller’s with Monty, so company while drinking myself into oblivion will be appreciated.  
I’ll order take out.

Bellamy places an order with their favorite Chinese place then flops down onto the couch. He checks the group chat, which has turned into Raven and Roan debating against Monty and Jasper about the merits of being shivved versus being stabbed on the train, which, honestly, he doesn’t even understand how they got on that topic when he scrolls back up to read the texts he’s missed. Then he opens up his texts with Octavia to respond to the one he’s been avoiding. 

**Octavia** : one couple down, two to go.  
**Bellamy** : You need a hobby, O.  
**Octavia** : whatevs, u’ll thank me when ur hooking up with clarke  
**Bellamy** : Unsubscribe.  
**Octavia** : i’m just saying  
i’m a matchmaking wizard  
**Bellamy** : I’m just saying, you’re deranged.  
It’s not like we weren’t friends before you made that chat.  
She’s my best friend.  
We talk literally all the time.  
This has not changed our relationship at all.  
And it’s not going to.  
Case closed, the end. 

And he’s right. Clarke shows up twenty minutes later with the Chinese he ordered and a six pack of Mike’s Hard Lemonade. When he questions her about it she says, “It’s appropriate for the situation, right? You’re having a crisis about high schoolers, this is what people drink in high school.” 

Bellamy shoots her a dirty look from the kitchen. She’s sitting on the couch, opening containers of food and letting the smell of orange chicken engulf his apartment, so she doesn’t see him, but he still feels a bit better. 

“Once again,” he says, walking over and setting a plate and silverware in front of her, “You’re not actually helping.” 

“Sure I am.” She twists the top off of a Mike’s with a slight _pop_ and hands it to him. “Here.” 

He gets an episode of Friends playing on Netflix and they eat and talk about how Ross is the worst and he asks how the set up for the opening is going and she asks how his students are doing and it’s the same as any other Saturday night in with Clarke. 

She hugs him when she leaves, he tells her to text him and let him know she gets home safe, and then he sends Octavia the middle finger emoji because she’s responded to his last text with a “ _mmhmmmm_ ” that he can feel the judgement of through his phone. 

Octavia has added you to the group _sad for bell’s life_  
**Bellamy** : Jesus, not another one.  
**Roan** : Is there a particular reason why we’re sad for Bellamy life?  
**Bellamy** : You added him?  
**Roan** : Rude.  
I’m your new friend.  
I felt like we were really connecting on the hike.  
**Jasper** : Before or after Bellamy ran away?  
**Bellamy** : Don’t start.  
**Miller** : we’re sad for bellamy’s life for a lot of reasons.  
but i’m assuming this is specifically abt his giant boner for clarke.  
**Raven** : ding ding ding.  
**Roan** : Ah.  
How long’s that been going on for?  
**Monty** : Since the beginning of time.  
**Bellamy** : Is this a chat just to make fun of me?  
**Miller** : i don’t understand why you’re surprised.  
it’s not like we’re not aware of your thing for clarke.  
we all make fun of you for it.  
now we can all do it in once place.  
**Raven** : it’s actually super efficient.  
**Jasper** : Really, we’re here to encourage you.  
We just want you and Mom to be happy together.  
**Monty** : If Bellamy and Clarke are our parents, does that make Octavia our aunt or is she one of the kids?  
**Raven** : she’s definitely a kid.  
i’m your fun, drunk aunt that you get to see on holidays.  
miller’s the grumpy dude that you started dating.  
**Lincoln** : Who am I?  
**Octavia** : hot guy next door that looks like a bad boy but isn’t  
dad doesn’t approve of me dating u but mom convinces him to come around  
**Bellamy** : Why are you all like this?  
Why can’t I have normal friends?  
**Roan** : I’m very normal.  
I’m not involved in any of this.  
**Raven** : you can be my live-in boyfriend that bellamy also doesn’t approve of.  
bellamy’s got a thing where he’s super overprotective and doesn’t approve of anyone.  
if you haven’t caught on yet.  
**Roan** : You know, I had a sneaking suspicion.  
**Bellam** y: I’m blocking all of you.  
**Miller** : like you actually know how to do that. 

Bellamy spends the rest of his day grading and actively not looking at his phone whenever it dings. When he checks the group chat before bed, he sees that he’s missed over one hundred texts about how pathetic he is and what role everyone would play if they were a family. He wants to text Clarke about how annoying their friends are, but that would require explaining that there’s another group chat, one specifically to make fun of him about his crush on her, which would require explaining his crush on her _to her_ , so instead he just plugs his phone in to charge and sets it to silent. 

**Clarke** : Happy Monday!  
Have any students asked if they can stay for some extra help yet?  
**Bellamy** : Class hasn’t started.  
Why are you even awake?  
You’re never awake this early.  
**Clarke** : Sometimes I am.  
**Bellamy** : Name one time you’ve woken up before ten in the last six months.  
**Clarke** : ANYWAY.  
I’m awake because we’re working on the gallery.  
We’ve still got a lot to do before the opening.  
**Bellamy** : It’s going to be great.  
**Clarke** : I know.  
Speaking of, though.  
Are you doing anything tonight?  
**Bellamy** : What do you need?  
**Clarke** : I’m hanging one of the walls tonight, but I need someone there to make sure everything’s level.  
It’s Lincoln and O’s date night.  
I can ask Raven if you’re busy.  
**Bellamy** : I can help.  
**Clarke** : Awesome, I didn’t even have to bribe you.  
**Bellamy** : There were gonna be bribes?  
Shit, I can’t believe I missed out on those.  
**Clarke** : Yep, you definitely screwed yourself out of some fantastic bribes.  
Meet me there at six. 

The rest of Bellamy’s day goes along fine, until his fifth period Current Events class walks in and two of the students he saw on the hike start whispering behind their hands. They giggle, turn around to whisper to the two boys behind them, and when the bell finally rings, Bellamy’s got a least seven students alternating between staring intensely at him and giggling to each other. 

**Bellamy** : SOS.  
Students are very obviously staring while I teach.  
There was whispering and giggles.  
I am extremely uncomfortable.  
I gave them a pop quiz just so I didn’t have to stand in front of the board anymore.  
**Jasper** : AHAHAHAHAHAHA  
**Lincoln** : Did you have a pop quiz prepared or are you giving them a pop quiz that’s a pop quiz for them and for you?  
**Roan** : Are you always this dramatic?  
**Miller** : yes.  
**Raven** : yes.  
**Bellamy** : Fuck you.  
**Raven** : you already did.  
**Miller** : same.  
**Clarke** : Okay, I’m gonna say this again.  
Your students were probably already thinking about your dick.  
You’re their hot history teacher.  
You just weren’t aware of it before.  
**Monty** : Did you just call Bellamy hot?  
**Clarke** : You’ve called him hot before.  
**Monty** : Not to his face.  
Just behind his back.  
**Miller** : you think bellamy’s hot?  
i thought he wasn’t your type?  
**Monty** : Are you gonna be a jealous boyfriend?  
I can work with that.  
**Raven** : tbh, i’m pretty sure we’ve all called bellamy hot before.  
i mean, aside from octavia, obviously.  
because like, objectively, he’s hot.  
**Jasper** : Can confirm I’ve never called Bellamy hot.  
**Roan** : Can confirm I have called Bellamy hot.  
Us hot guys can always acknowledge another hot guy.  
**Lincoln** : Same.  
**Octavia** : making this chat was the worst thing i’ve ever done  
**Clarke** : Why?  
Now we all have a place to talk about how hot we all think Bellamy is.  
I’m sure it’s good for his ego.  
**Bellamy** : Thanks for thinking I’m hot, guys.  
It’s appreciated.  
Not at all helpful.  
But appreciated. 

When Bellamy shows up to the gallery, he’s still not completely over Clarke calling him hot in the group chat. If he’s being honest, he’s also not completely over four of his other friends also admitting that they’ve called him hot, but Clarke’s the reason he’s got a stupid fluttering that just won’t stop in his stomach. 

She opens the door in a paint-splattered t-shirt and jeans, her shoes abandoned and her hair half-falling out of the braid she’d had it in, and the fluttering in Bellamy’s stomach speeds up. 

“Hey!” she grins at him, pulling him in for a brief hug and locking the door behind him. 

“I’m actually really glad you were able to help,” Clarke says, as she leads him to the far wall of the gallery. “Raven’s hanging out with Roan tonight, so she wouldn’t have been free to help if you said no.” 

“Raven and Roan?” Bellamy asks, looking around. The other two walls of the gallery are already filled with artwork and there’s remnants of the work they’ve been putting in all over. A squeegee and bucket by the front wall full of windows, light fixtures and cords running across the floor, post-it notes under each painting, and a few large duct-tape X’s near the middle of the room. 

Clarke rolls her eyes. “Are you aware that your sister has decided to use our group chat as a matchmaking service?” she asks him. 

"I’d heard something about it, yeah,” Bellamy says, clearing his throat. “I didn’t think she was serious about it.” 

“She’s all in. That’s why she added Roan to the chat in the first place. She wanted to set him and Raven up.” 

“So she didn’t add him just to annoy me?” 

“Fringe benefit, I’m sure,” Clarke says. She pulls a step stool over to wall and lifts a mid-sized piece off the ground. “We’ve got everything ready to go for this wall. All the hardware and stuff is already in place, I just need you to let me know if it’s level when I get it up. What do you have against Roan?” 

“Nothing,” Bellamy says. “He just seems like a dick. Like, he immediately started a fight with you in the chat.” 

“You immediately started a fight with you when you met me,” Clarke says while looking over her shoulder at him. “Centered?” 

“Yeah.” 

“We know each other. It wasn’t like he was picking a fight just to pick a fight,” Clarke says. “He’s kind of like a distant cousin that’s acts like an annoying big brother. That’s just what we do.” 

Bellamy makes an effort not to glower at her back. “That’s what we do,” he mumbles. 

Clarke gets off the step-stool and squints at him. “Are you jealous of Roan?” 

“No.” It feels like he said it too quickly, and Clarke thinks so too if her growing smirk is anything to go by. 

“Bellamy, you don’t need to be jealous of Roan.” 

He glares at her. “I’m not jealous of Roan. What would I even be jealous about? I just want to make sure he’s good enough for Raven.” 

Clarke hums in response as she climbs up to place the next painting. 

They bicker back and forth for the next two hours while Clarke hangs paintings and Bellamy tells her they’re off-center to irritate her. When they’re done, they go to a little pizza place down the block. 

“The gallery looks amazing,” Bellamy says, once they’ve ordered. “The opening’s going to be great.” 

“If we get everything done. We’ve doing lighting tomorrow, the artist and title plaques on Wednesday, and the sculptures are going into place on Thursday.” 

He kicks his foot against hers under the table. “The opening’s going to be great,” he repeats. 

Clarke smiles at him. “The opening’s going to be great. And if it’s not, we put Octavia in charge of champagne, so we’ll definitely have enough left over to get wasted.” 

“That’s the spirit.” 

Bellamy gets home to find Miller on the couch, with Monty asleep on his shoulder. The TV is turned down low and Miller is looking at Monty with such a sappy look of adoration that Bellamy almost feels bad clearing his throat and ruining the moment. Then he remembers that Miller took point in the _sad for bell’s life_ chat to make fun of him about Clarke calling him hot, so he clears his throat and pretends to sneeze for good measure. 

Miller just shoots him a look and adjusts his shoulder when Monty turns to burrow further into him at the noise. 

He shushes Bellamy, but then whispers. “So, Clarke thinks you’re hot.” 

“Shut up.” Bellamy pauses. “Clarke thinks I’m hot.” 

“Did you jump her as soon as you saw her?” Miller asks. 

“No.” 

Miller groans. “Just ask her out already. Or kiss her. Either one is gonna get you the same results.” 

“She doesn’t-“ 

“Don’t tell me she doesn’t feel the same way, she called you hot less than twelve hours ago.” 

“That doesn’t mean anything.” Bellamy continues at Miller’s look of disdain, “It doesn’t. Roan and Monty said I’m hot, too. Clarke was just trying to make me feel better about my students. It doesn’t mean she wants to go out with me.” 

Miller just keeps staring at Bellamy with the same look on his face until Bellamy finally mutters, “You were freaking out over Monty, you’re no better than me” and heads to bed. 

While he’s eating lunch the next day, his phone starts going off. 

Clarke has changed the name of the group to _FRIDAY NIGHT._  
**Clarke** : Don’t forget about the opening.  
**Raven** : i totally forgot until you changed the group name.  
**Clarke** : Shut up.  
**Roan** : Is your mom going to be there?  
**Clarke** : Yes.  
Why?  
**Roan** : Just want to know if I’m going to need to avoid her.  
**Clarke** : Probably a good idea.  
**Raven** : i’ll protect you from abby.  
she loves me.  
**Jasper** : Is there a reason you’re avoiding Clarke’s mom?  
**Roan** : Incident at her last Christmas party.  
**Clarke** : You can hang out with Bellamy.  
He’s terrified of my mom, too.  
**Bellamy** : Shut up, I am not.  
**Octavia** : don’t lie, u totally are  
**Bellamy** : She’s our senator!  
That’s a real reason to be intimidated by someone.  
**Monty** : Bellamy might have had a fair amount of influence in the med school versus artist decision.  
**Miller** : so now he’s terrified of clarke’s mom.  
**Lincoln** : If she’s coming to the gallery opening, she can’t be that against you being an artist.  
So there’s no reason for Bellamy to be afraid of her, right?  
**Roan** : You don’t know Clarke’s mom.  
**Bellamy** : We were barely even friends when Clarke decided to drop out of med school.  
I don’t think she can hold me accountable for your decisions.  
**Octavia** : huh funny  
i vaguely recall u telling clarke “if u have the opportunity and the means to do something that u love, do it. not all of us get to”  
there was a whole speech  
**Clarke** : Also, we were definitely friends by that point, so.  
**Monty** : Are you sure?  
I remember the speech, but I’m pretty sure he yelled it at you.  
**Clarke** : I mean, I consider that time my car died out at two in the morning on my way back from visiting my mom when we started being friends.  
I called him, he came to pick me up, therefore friendship.  
You don’t do that if you aren’t friends with someone.  
**Miller** : tbh he would.  
bellamy would pick you up even if he hated you.  
he’d be worried about your well-being if he didn’t.  
**Jasper** : I’ve called him at two in the morning to pick me up and he didn’t.  
**Bellamy** : That’s because you’re drunk and not stranded on the side of the highway.  
And Miller’s right. I maintain that we were barely even friends when you dropped out.  
Your mom can’t blame me if we weren’t friends.  
**Clarke** : We were totally friends and she definitely partially blames you.  
It’s cool though.  
Marcus is coming too and he loves you, so it’ll even out.  
**Bellamy** : He calls me “son”.  
I don’t like it.  
**Raven** : you don’t like anything.  
you’re our resident grumpy dude in the group.  
**Miller** : excuse you, that’s my position.  
**Raven** : idk you’ve been smiling a lot since you started dating monty.  
it’s creepy. 

Miller tells Raven to go fuck herself and she replies with the middle finger emoji and then Jasper inserts himself into the argument and Bellamy mutes the group and checks his texts from Clarke. 

**Clarke** : My mom doesn’t hate you.  
She just wants someone to blame for me not being a doctor.  
And you’re convenient.  
Apparently, me being an legit artist with a gallery is equally as good for her image, so she’s mostly over it anyway.  
**Bellamy** : That’s not super encouraging.  
Just so you know.  
**Clarke** : Like I said, at least Marcus loves you.  
**Bellamy** : He does love me.  
One time he told me that he thinks of me as a younger him.  
Keep in mind I’ve only met him three times.  
**Clarke** : Yeah, that sounds about right.  
He means well, though. 

The next day, Raven texts him around six, right when he’s getting ready to head over to the apartment she shares with Clarke. Every Wednesday Raven clears out and they watch Netflix and order take out and their friends make fun of them and Bellamy wonders how they’re not actually dating yet. 

**Raven** : fyi roan and I are dating.  
well, fucking.  
but we’re gonna be dating.  
**Bellamy** : Congrats???  
**Raven** : your turn.  
**Bellamy** : Fuck’s sake.  
Not you, too.  
Don’t tell Octavia that you’re fucking/dating Roan.  
She’ll be unbearable.  
**Raven** : i’m just saying, blake, it worked for me.  
and for monty and miller.  
**Bellamy** : Go away.  
How did you even manage that you’ve known him for three days.  
**Raven** : four days, thank you very much.  
and i asked him to netflix and chill.  
and we spent more time chilling than watching netflix.  
unlike some people who don’t seem to understand how that phrase works.  
**Bellamy** : I like watching Netflix with Clarke.  
**Raven** : you’re so fucking lame that it’s not even funny anymore. 

It’s not like Bellamy didn’t know what “Netflix and chill” meant before talking to Raven. His friends have been making fun of him for months for not doing the “and chill” part and he’s just told them to fuck off. So when he gets to Clarke’s and she opens the door with a grin and a bowl of popcorn there’s no reason for the sudden drop in his stomach. Nothing’s changed. 

They settle on the couch and Clarke boots up some documentary they’ve been wanting to watch about the food in pubs in Ireland and that’s that. 

Everything is fine aside from an awareness that Bellamy’s never had to deal with before. Clarke is right next to him, curled into his side like she always is when they watch Netflix, nothing new, but this time it’s like everywhere she’s touching him is electrified. All he can think about is that if he turned his head to the right and tilted her chin up, they could be kissing and it really is as easy as that. Raven did it and he so easily could, too, but he doesn’t know how to get them from where they are to where he wants them to be. There’s too much of a chance that Clarke won’t feel the same way or that she’ll just want a hookup when he wants to date her and hold her hand and cook dinner for her. 

Bellamy waits until he’s home from work the next day to text the _sad for bell’s life_ chat. 

**Bellamy** : So.  
I’m in love with Clarke.  
**Miller** : is this news?  
did you not know?  
I’m pretty sure i’ve told you that before.  
**Bellamy** : Shut up.  
Raven broke me.  
**Raven** : what the hell did i do?  
**Bellamy** : I was fine with just being friends.  
And then you made fun of me for not Neflix and chilling.  
And that was all I could think about while watching Netflix.  
**Raven** : that sounds like a personal problem.  
**Octavia** : wanna know how to solve that problem?  
ask her out  
**Bellamy** : Is there a way to ask someone out in emoji?  
I think that’s my best bet.  
**Lincoln** : You’re best bet is just asking her.  
**Miller** : idk you should probably use the heart emoji a lot.  
**Raven** : send her the eggplant.  
which is dick in emoji.  
in case you didn’t know.  
**Jasper** : I don’t think that’s sending the message “I wanna date”.  
**Roan** : It worked on me.  
**Bellamy** : Yeah, yeah, you’ve all found love through the group chat.  
None of you are helping with my current problem.  
**Roan** : I don’t understand how you two aren’t dating yet.  
I mean, obviously you have shitty social skills and haven’t asked her out.  
But I genuinely thought you were already dating.  
For years.  
Every time Clarke mentioned you at parties I assumed you were her boyfriend.  
**Monty** : Bellamy, I mean this in the nicest way.  
You are a human disaster.  
All you need to do is ask Clarke out.  
Literally, that is it. That’s all you need to do.  
**Bellamy** : Both of you were just really encouraging while also taking a dig at me.  
So, thanks, I guess? 

He switches from the group chat to his texts from Miller when his phone starts rapidly dinging. 

**Miller** : i’m your friend and i’m only gonna be supportive like this once.  
so make sure to really pay attention.  
all you have to do is ask clarke out.  
i’m half-convinced she’d say yes on the spot if you asked her to marry you.  
and even if she says no and you’re heartbroken and it sucks for a while.  
you guys will get past it.  
**Bellamy** : And you say I’m dramatic.  
**Miller** : jfc  
this is why i never say nice shit to you.  
**Bellamy** : Thanks. 

He’s still trying to figure out the best way to tell Clarke he’s into her because it can’t be as simple as just asking her out when he gets a text from her the next day. 

**Clarke** : So I know you’ve got a class right now.  
And this isn’t super important or anything, I can wait for a response until your lunch.  
But I’m just kind of freaking out?  
Like, we’re about to open a gallery.  
With my art and Lincoln’s art and thirteen other artists’ art.  
And it’s crazy and I know everything is perfect and going to go off without a hitch, but I still can’t stop worrying.  
So, yeah. I could use some reassurance whenever you get the chance.  
**Bellamy** : The opening is going to be perfect.  
You guys have been putting your all into it.  
It’s going to look amazing and everyone is going to love it.  
I’m so proud of all the hard work you’ve done and I can’t wait to see it all come together tonight. 

When Bellamy walks into the gallery, he actually pauses for a second to take it all in. It looks great, all the paintings well-lit, soft music playing from the speakers, and a table of champagne by the front windows, and he almost misses how all of his friends are grouped in one corner, staring at him like some terrifying live-action art exhibit. 

“Are you trying to be suspicious?” He hisses when he walks up to them. 

Octavia pulls him in for a hug. “We’re trying to be supportive, you dick.” 

“We also wanna see what happens,” Jasper says, shrugging. “We’ve got bets going.” 

“We got bets on bets on bets,” Monty adds. “Like, we’ve been betting on this for months. Every outcome, every variable.” 

Bellamy rolls his eyes at them. “Maybe I shouldn’t say anything to her just to screw whoever bet on tonight.” 

“Don’t you dare,” Raven says, pinching him. Her other hand is occupied with holding Roan’s and he nods. 

“I can’t wait to see you try to be charming in person.” 

“I’m always charming,” Bellamy grumbles. 

Miller snorts. “Please. You get by on your looks.” 

He tries to subtly flip Miller off, but Abby and Marcus walk up and he ends up turning it into a weird stretch. Miller coughs to cover his laugh. 

They make small talk with Abby and Marcus, Bellamy finds Lincoln to congratulate him, and he meets Clarke’s eyes from across the room and gives her a grin and a thumbs up. 

He’s almost grateful that she’s the owner and one of the artists, because it gives him an excuse not to talk to her and to instead fret about what he’s going to say when he gets the chance. He manages to avoid actually talking to her, aside from a quick congratulations, for the whole evening. 

By the end of the night, he’s in a group with his friends, talking with Lincoln about how successful the evening was while Clarke walks her mom and Marcus out. 

Octavia nudges him. “Are you gonna say something?” 

“Yes, Jesus, stop rushing me.” 

“You’ve had all night and you haven’t said anything,” Miller notes from his other side, and Bellamy turns to glare at him. 

“I’m going to say something,” he says. 

“Now’s your chance,” Octavia murmurs, giving him another nudge. 

Clarke’s walking back in so he downs the rest of his champagne, hands his glass to Octavia, and meets Clarke halfway across the room. 

“Hey.” 

“Hey,” she smiles at him. “That was amazing. Did Lincoln tell you that we sold over half the paintings? And two of the sculptures?” 

“And who told you that it was going to go perfectly?” 

She pushes his shoulder and rolls her eyes. “Yeah, yeah, you were right.” 

Bellamy takes a deep breath. “Clarke-“ 

He’s cut off when she presses her lips against his. It only takes him a second to kiss her back, hands finding her hips while hers slide up his chest to wrap around his neck. It’s gentler than he expected and she pulls back much quicker than he would prefer. 

He opens his mouth, to say something, and what comes out is, “I had a whole speech planned.” 

Clarke breaks out into a grin. “Of course you did.” 

She kisses him again, deeper, letting her tongue play with his. He’s the one to pull back this time, the smile on his face making it hard to continue. 

He hears his friends bickering behind him, Raven and Miller complaining about how they should still win the bet even though Clarke made the first move, but he ignores them. 

“Not that I’m not thrilled that you took things into your own hands, but why?” 

“I just thought ‘fuck it’. You’re my favorite person and you’re always there for me and it was worth it to take a shot, even if you didn’t feel the same way.” 

“I definitely do,” Bellamy says quickly. 

“Good,” Clarke says, giving him one more quick kiss and then tucking herself into his side and tugging him toward their friends. “We’re dating now, so you better.” 

**Author's Note:**

> The 100 and Bellarke owns my life during the season so come cry with me on [tumblr](http://fitnessandfandom.tumblr.com/ask) or leave me prompts bc I can't focus on anything aside from these two dorks.


End file.
